a/n- So I'm finally on my Summer break and I've managed to get this chapter out! I hope it lives up to your expectations and you enjoy it! But I couldn't have completed this chapter with out the fantastic help of my Beta youngandmature or Caitlin. She does so much work for me and I appreciate it so much! So read and enjoy and tell me your thoughts afterwards! (:

Summary- Edward Cullen belongs to no one. Edward Cullen will never commit to anyone. Edward Cullen is a 'no strings attached' kind of guy. Well at least that's what he thought until Bella Swan came along. Bella Swan was looking for nothing, but got everything. What happens when two polar opposites attract?

Chapter Six: We Sat, Conversed and Laughed

BPOV

"Nope, nothing more then the casual acknowledgment by the use of eye contact in the hallway or our quick hello's in class."

Alice and I had been talking over the last couple of weeks. She would check in to see how everything was going for me. She always asked about Edward and I and about our interactions, which were basically non-existent to say the least. But, Edward couldn't be blamed for our lack of conversation. I mean, it wasn't as if I had tried to initiate any kind of contact either. We almost had like a mutual understanding that we had nothing to say to one another, or maybe we were afraid of what we would say to one another, so instead we remained mute.

"You know, it might just take time. Just wait it out and I'm sure you'll find common ground. I'm just positive." Alice mused. She seemed to be completely adamant that things would work out between Edward and I.

I nodded in silent agreement, even though I wasn't as positive as she was. Leaning my head back and relaxing onto the palms of my hands, my eyes closed shut against the rare sun and I just lay silently for a moment.

The end of this week marked the end of first semester and a minor milestone in the school year. Alice had incessantly reminded me of the party the Cullen's were having in spirit and celebration of the apparently 'historic' event.

It was Friday afternoon and I had one last class – Biology - before the school day ended. I had no plans except to finish my English essay on Modern Poetry and start a five-page write-up on our latest Biology practical. My social life really hadn't evolved since I first moved here, except for the occasional outing with Alice or the unusual movie with Angela, who was a sweet, quiet girl from my English class.

I still hadn't agreed to go to any parties after the last embarrassing and awful situation I had put myself in. Alice had continually begged me, but no amount of pleading and pouting could get me through the Cullen's front door.

"Well then, you have to come shopping with me this afternoon. I need a new dress and pumps. You can help me pick the outfit out." Everyone knew my sense lacked in the fashion department, but Alice would always get her way when it came to these things. She was good- very good.

"Alright, but not for too long." I gave in with a sigh. This was an easy win for Alice, but only because I wasn't in the mood for a nagging session.

"Oh, sorry Bella. I didn't realise you had a hot date that you had to rush back to." Alice laughed.

I knew she was only joking around and she hugged me to show she cared.

"Yeah, yeah. I'll meet you by your car after class."

"No, we're going now. No one's going to care if we skip the final class on the last day of semester. All you'd be doing is sitting in a dark classroom watching ancient movies on a projector screen."

I knew Alice was right, but I also knew it wasn't the right thing to do. Even if I was just missing an old film on a crappy LCD.

"Alice, I don't know…" I was wary about what decision to make.

"Oh, come on Bella! It'll be fun. I promise." She nagged with a grin.

Alice was always so enthusiastic and positive about everything, and that's another thing I loved about her. But, that didn't mean it wasn't annoying at times.

Before I could tell her that I had decided to come, she had already dragged me halfway to her car, and was already pulling the keys out of her bag and unlocking the doors. I realized I would be missing a class with Edward and my heart dropped a bit. Even though I rarely spoke to him, it was still something. It had dawned on me a couple of weeks ago that I had feelings for Edward, however strong. They existed and I had acknowledged them to a certain extent. But of course I didn't act on them.

I walked the final stretch over to Alice's car and got into the passenger seat, anticipating a long afternoon.

Alice and I made random conversation on the drive to Port Angeles. It was the only place you might actually find a decent outfit in the surrounding towns of Forks.

Four hours, thirteen shops and five coffees' later, Alice and I were walking back to her car. We were carrying three bags each. Somewhere along the way I had been roped in to attending the party tonight. Alice had somehow, in a technique still unknown to man, convinced me to buy a cute floral pink and blue dress that had the top half of the back cut out. I was also lured into buying white platform pumps that looked like you'd break your neck in if you attempted wearing them. I didn't intentionally get them. Alice had given the 'wrong' box, as she put it, to the saleslady instead of the ballet flats I was meaning to get. I had threatened Alice that I would go back to the store, but she compromised and said I could bring my Converse to the party as long as I wore the pumps at the beginning.

We got ready at Alice's house, as she had all the accessories for the event and she promised to do my hair and makeup, as I was incapable of doing it myself if you ask her.

My hair was parted directly in the middle and was done in waves that hung down to my chest. Alice had gone for a smoky-eyed look for me, but I insisted on her cutting down on the eye shadow.

We left for the party once Alice was content with how we both looked and I had to say she had done a pretty good job on both of us.

Alice one again drove to the Cullen house and parked in one of the spots in the driveway that always seemed to be left empty at parties, seemingly reserved for her.

The party was already in full swing as we got out of the car and Alice walked ahead to find Jasper leaving me to fend for myself. I wasn't annoyed or anything, seeing as we had spent the last seven hours together, but my nerves started arising once I was alone. I gathered my thoughts and took a deep breath, before taking my first step towards the front door.

The gravel from the drive kicked up under my feet as I walked at a steady pace, but I heard other footsteps behind me. I turned to scope the area but seeing nothing, I shrugged it off thinking it was just some punk kid. I was too focused on the steady mantra running through my mind saying 'don't say anything stupid' as I entered the party and left behind the outside world.

EPOV

Holy shit! That was all I could think as Bella passed me on her way to my house's front door. Her long legs were accentuated by her pumps and a dress that hugged her in all the right places.

I had stepped out for a smoke. The music had been giving me a headache and I needed a break. I was standing next to the house, somewhat hidden by the bushes that lined the front wall, when I heard someone coming up the drive. I had stayed hidden and was planning on scaring the shit out of some poor kid when I had noticed it was Bella. Not just Bella, but her legs… those legs. I think I was drooling, but I managed to bring myself together as she disappeared out of sight.

I crushed my cigarette beneath my heel and followed in the direction Bella had gone a few minutes later. As I entered the living room, or pseudo dance floor, my eyes instantly began looking for Bella, though I knew it would be hopeless. Trying to find her in the mass sea of people would be impossible, unless she was standing right in front of me, which was highly unlikely.

I grabbed a beer off the bar and made my way over to a couch which was surprisingly unoccupied by couples groping each other or people puking on the leather cushions. I sat down and watched the crowd move simultaneously to the music; swaying, bobbing, grinding and performing other various dance moves, which shouldn't be allowed in public.

I guffawed when I saw Mike Newton gyrating on Jessica Stanley's leg. She really had lowered her standards, but it was definitely a better match then her and I.

I was still looking up every couple of minutes, hoping to catch a glimpse of Bella, but to my disappointment she never passed by.

Bella and I hardly talked to each other unless it involved loaning a pencil or drawing the structure of a eukaryotic cell. My distant interactions with her rooted from the deeper realization that I actually cared what she thought about me.

Jasper relaxed into the couch next to me, smacking my knee to announce his presence.

As my head rolled towards him, I simultaneously asked him a question, "Why aren't you off rubbing up against Alice in some distant hallway?"

"She went to hang out with Bella for a while." My attention spiked at the mention of Bella's name but I didn't dare show Jasper that I was interested.

"Mmhm…." I mumbled out as noncommittal a response as possible, even though I wanted to know more.

"Want another beer?" Jasper asked, tapping the side of my bottle, which brought me to the realization that it was empty.

"Sure." My answer was short and curt even though I didn't mean for it to come out that way.

After ten minutes, my patience started to run short. Jasper hadn't returned and the bar was, at the very most, ten steps away. He was nowhere to be seen and the amount of people in the room had seemed to double in size. I squinted my eyes against the harsh, flashing disco lights as they danced across my face. I came to the conclusion that he had ditched me, probably for Alice, but that was nothing new to me.

He said that he was in love, but who really knew? Love was for those couples that stared longingly into each other's eyes, the one's that held hands as they strolled and whispered sweet nothings into each other's ears. Love wasn't for me- that was one thing I knew for certain.

I was happy for Jazz. I really was. But the lovesick couple sometimes made me just that- sick.

I got up, deciding it was probably time to stretch my legs, which were starting to go a bit numb from sitting too long.

I grabbed myself a beer on the way outside; a job Jasper seemed incapable of doing. The fresh air hit me like a brick wall and sent a chill down my spine. I hadn't expected it to be so cold yet.

Once outside, I leaned my back against the glass window that allowed a visual into the interior of the house and placed one foot up onto the surface. The night sky was particularly starry tonight so I decided to play a child's game of making shapes out of the stars.

"Snake." I whispered out loud to myself.

"Horse."

"Fish."

"Car."

"Hear-" I was interrupted before I could voice my last shape.

"Eddie, what are you doing?" A whiny voice questioned me.

Of course, her relationship with Mike had only been a casual dance. I was stupid to hope otherwise. She must have ditched Mike on the dance-floor to get an upgrade. An upgrade I was not interested in giving.

"Nothing, just talking aloud." I replied in a snarky voice. I didn't have the patience for this right now.

Jessica Stanley was the bane of my existence and reminded me of that by talking to me every single day about the most insignificant of things.

"Eddie, do you want to dance with me inside?" She just unknowingly grated on my nerves every second.

"No, Jessica. If you wouldn't mind, I was in the middle of something." I snapped.

She seemed to realize what I was referring to and was about to leave when she threw herself at me instead.

"Do you think we can do it together?" She asked suggestively, whilst trying to grope me at the same time.

I pried her catty claws off my body and walked away. I knew she wouldn't give up so easily but this latest rejection had to have deterred her for now.

I took a swig from my beer as I looked for another place to relax. My eyes scanned the yard when I spotted Bella sitting on one of the pool lounges in the far corner of the garden.

I sauntered over, not really caring that we had spoken no more then ten words to one another in the last couple of months. I sat down on the lounge, causing the chair to squeak under the weight of me. Bella instantly turned her head towards me.

"Edward?" She asked quizzically.

"Bella." I smirked at her.

"Um… th-thanks for inviting me to the party." She stumbled over her words, nervous and trying to make small talk.

"That's alright. I wasn't sure if you'd turn up, but it looks like you did."

She smiled at me, nodding her head slightly.

An awkward silence simmered between Bella and I, and I started to regret coming to sit with her, seeing as I had nothing to say. I didn't even know why I sat down in the first place. It wasn't something that I would usually do. But when it came to Bella there were a lot of first times for me.

"Are you enjoying yourself?" I wasn't usually good with this kind of conversation but I gave it a go anyway.

"Yeah, it's nice of you and your parents to throw such big parties so often." She gave me a small smile and I nodded in agreement.

"So, why are you sitting all alone out here?" She seemed to be lost in some inner monologue as I interrupted her thoughts.

"Alice went to go suck face with Jasper." I burst out in laughter, nearly showering Bella in beer, at how abrupt she was about saying it. No beating around the bush with this one. She smirked at my attempt to close my mouth without spitting out any beer. "And, I don't really know anyone else here. Anyway, enough about me. Why are your parents never around to supervise these 'infamous' parties that you throw?" She did air quotes around the word infamous, the word most people use to describe our parties.

"My father's a doctor here in Forks, but he does locum work for the surrounding towns, so he has to go out of town regularly. My mother goes with him usually. She trusts Emmett and I to take care of the house, and we do." Her eyes scanned the entire length of the house indicating that she didn't think this was what taking care of the house looked like.

"We throw parties and have gatherings, but we also make sure everything is impeccable by the time our parents are home." I smirked, and she shook her head while she laughed.

"Edward Cullen; bad boy, lady killer and impeccable house-cleaner. You'll make a good house-husband someday." She teased me.

"Did you just call me a lady killer, Bella Swan?" I grinned inwardly, "I didn't realize I had that effect on you."

"Oh no, not me. Jessica Stanley." She nodded her head forwards to show me that Jessica fucking Stanley was heading this way. Our carefree banter seemed to stiffen after that moment and I hid my face in my palms.

"Some people just don't get the message." I mumbled into my hands, "I'm going to hide. If Jessica asks, say you didn't realize I had left."

"Alright…." She agreed warily.

"Thanks." I smiled at her, before making a run for it behind the house and out of sight.

At that moment, as I was crouching down by the side of the house and trying not to make a sound, I realized something.

Bella Swan was bossy, judgmental, but incredibly cute.

That Bella Swan and I had just had a proper conversation and we actually laughed.

a/n- So what did you think? Bell and Edwards first proper civilized conversation! There will definitely be more of those coming up in the next chapters! So hit the review button and tell me what you thought!